Why the heck would you be interested in using eBay to buy products or even sell items that might not match your personal style or taste? Well, there are thousands of reasons, mostly dollar-based reasons, for you to quickly create an eBay account, if you haven’t already opened one.

It’s easy to assume that opening an eBay account is more trouble than it’s worth. Everyone knows that millions of people make millions of dollars a week on eBay. What is not known is how simple it can be to start a business and earn a regular income with eBay. Here are some simple tips to get the ball rolling.

1. Visit eBay.com and go to the link to register your new account. You will see some very simple questions that will not challenge you to answer. They don’t like to meddle, but they do want to have good solid records.

2. You will need to think carefully about your username. You could come up with something catchy and cute, or a name that creates a smart but marketable image for your next eBay deal. “MamaSews” would work if your passion is sewing. “PapaRocks” might work for a rock hound’s or climber’s accessory business. Thinking outside the box is a good idea in today’s business climate. Once you have made your choice, eBay will verify your account initiation by email to the email address you used to initiate the account.

3. Follow the instructions carefully and go through everything line by line. At that point, you will have instant access to your eBay account and you are ready to start your business and show your products and/or services to the world.

4. Write down your account information, logins, and passwords in your journal or file it on your hard drive in a specially designated folder (be sure to back up everything if you use this option). You don’t want to be left out of your business, so don’t trust these details to your memory.

A little known secret is that most eBay heavy hitters shop online on eBay to purchase goods and services. Not only do you get better prices than you’ll find offline, but you can buy low enough to sell your bargain finds in your own eBay store!

Do this now:

o Decide what your specialty will be. This can be based on the hobby that fuels your passion or the choice can be based entirely on the batch of products you bought at a bargain price. My first eBay offer was a catalog of hard-to-find general interest items selling for $2.50. I had bought a rough for $.25 each and felt like I couldn’t lose. I was elated when I surpassed $200 in sales in less than a month. This can still work, however I encourage you to do your research instead of relying on luck like I did the first time.

o Use eBay’s search function to explore what is available. Look for lots in bulk, and be prepared to invest at least an hour or two so you have plenty of time to make several selections.

o Pay attention to the seller’s rating. High numbers and solid ratings in the 90s are what you’re looking for. Please read any negative feedback posts carefully.

o Don’t assume that the negatives mean what they imply. Often new eBayers don’t understand how the game is played and don’t read the seller’s information about delivery times etc. They tend to submit negative feedback prematurely, which makes a smart and ethical seller seem less than respectable. This can cause you to miss out on a great deal if you don’t spend an extra minute or two checking further when you see a good deal but are concerned about the seller’s reputation.

o Always take the time to carefully read the descriptions and instructions once you find a great deal. Many make the mistake of not taking a second look and end up buying an ebook about a new Razor for $5 when they thought they were getting a super deal on a very popular cell phone!

Once you’re ready to sell your items, the process gets more laborious but not more complicated. Take your time and go line by line. You can always come back if you missed something and even when you’re done you can make changes… at least until you’ve made your first sale. After that, the page is blocked.

This is the process to prepare for your first sale:

1. Go to the selling instructions, which are well marked and easy to find. Click sell at the top of the page. Choose your category to make it easier for the right set of shoppers to find that your products match what they’re looking for.

2. Write your description carefully. I advise my clients to use MS Word so they can spell check the copy before pasting it onto eBay. Nothing destroys credibility and your image like sloppy copy and misspelled words.

3. Give your images some thought and select images that complement your products. You definitely want to take the time to find and use images. Pictures sell!

4. Be sure to tell the buyer the shipping costs and the forms of payment you will accept. Be sure to offer as many options as you can as this will make it easier to make sales, however don’t deal with checks. eBay will guide you here. PayPal is the simplest and most widely used payment processor, so you need to be safe with that choice.

5. Definitely take the time to Google your title for your auction listing. What this means is you go to the search engine and type your title in the search box and see how many results it triggers. Here you are looking for high numbers. Once you’re happy, whether the number is 100 or 100,000, use that title as a banner for your auction listing.

Above all, have fun. This is serious work and the payoff over time can get serious too, however have fun and keep it light. Your potential customers are human beings who navigate a very serious and stressful world every day. Use your sense of purpose and combine it with your sense of humor and see what happens. Have fun… Earn money!